True Colors
by Neurotic-Junkie
Summary: Rating a precaution due to some minor swearing. Short ficlet concerning Nathan and Haley.


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TRUE COLORS

AUTHOR: The Junkie (but someone took my pen name and so I'm going by the Neurotic-Junkie. Heh.)

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RATING: PG/G Very clean, though PG due to some minor language here and there. This is pretty much a fluff piece so nothing tremendous to worry about.

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CHARACTERS/COUPLING: Naley

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SUMMARY: Nathan seeks refuge in Haley one night. Not a lemon. Simply his and her revelations on each other and what it's like to open up to each other emotionally.

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DISCLAIMER: One Tree Hill is not mine! Nor is the song. So deal with it! Even if you sue me all you're get is old pieces of gum and an "I Hate Clowns" tee! So there! *runs away*

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Very… filler-y. Ha. I was inspired by the song to conjure up this ficlet. I didn't know quite how to end it so I simply wrapped it up with big words and continuingly repeating sentences. Ha. Enjoyment is not guaranteed. This is very under edited.. And… just yeah. It's under edited. Reviews are appreciated!

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But I see your true colors shining through.

I see your true colors and that's why I love you.

So don't be afraid to let them show.

Your true colors are beautiful like a rainbow.

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Out of the car, Nathan Scott slowly walked along the dark sidewalk and skipped between the pools of light from the streetlights. It was unusually cold and he was not accustomed to shivering. The silence in the icy and stiff air was so thick that the only so und that could be heard was the rhythmic stepping of his sneakers against concrete. 

Methodically, he stopped in front of Haley's house. For a few brief moments, he stood aimlessly on the sidewalk deliberating his next move. As Nathan weighed issues in his mind, he came to the blunt realization that it was past three o'clock in the morning. Yet, he saw the light from a back window of the house. It was Haley's room, but why was she awake so late? The rest of the family was asleep.

Nathan proceeded to pass through the front gate, obscure and quietly as he possibly could be to avoid waking the entire neighborhood. He carefully walked around the side of the side of the house to the light. He prayed that the neighbors wouldn't call the police, assuming that he was a burglar. The prickly leaves crinkled beneath his feet as he tiptoed past the garden until he was directly under the window that was casting off the warm glow from inside.

Nothing could be seen through the window except for the amber light reflecting off the ceiling. He knew that Haley was in there, but he needed a way to draw her towards the window in order to get her attention. The task proved to be difficult, since Haley's room was on the second story of the house. Nathan searched around with the limited lighting available to him, but the only plausible item he could quire was a stick he found lying on the ground.

Recklessly, he launched the twig at the window and an echoing tap bounded forth. The twig was amazingly capable to produce a clear and qualifying sound as it made contact with the glass of the window. The only drawback was that the stick ricocheted off the glass and was heading straight for the weary basketball player. Quickly, he dodged the flying twig and waited anxiously for the results of his seemingly fruitless stunt.

A moment later, Haley's figure appeared before the window. Although her face was hidden in the shadows of the light, he was still able to read the shocked and bewildered expression etched across her face. She slowly opened the window a raised brow and gave Nathan an amused and fascinated look.

"What is it with you and throwing things at people's windows?" she whispered, rolling her eyes. Nathan did not respond but bit his lip desperately.

"Haley!" he hissed, "Can I come in?"

She paused for a moment before nodding, though she did not disappear into the light without tossing him a crooked smile.

Nathan made his way back to the front and Haley opened the door for him. Quickly, he stepped in and was overcome with the welcoming warmth and sense of relief.

Haley didn't bother to ask him as to why he was visiting at such an absurd hour. Instead, she simply embraced him briefly before leading him into the dark living room. She sat him down on the couch, allowing Nathan's aching body to sink into the comfort of the cushions.

"Do you want something warm to drink?" Haley asked softly. 

Nathan looked up at her gratefully. "That would be nice."

She silently accepted his gratitude, and made her way towards the kitchen.

"Wait," Nathan said hurriedly, hastily. Haley turned back, confused. "Hurry, okay?"

The reflections off of her gentle brown eyes were so comforting and sincere that Nathan couldn't help but smile at her.

By the time Haley came back into the living room, Nathan had taken off his varsity jacket and had moved to the floor. Instead of sitting on the couch, he propped himself against it, his long legs sprawled against the carpet. Haley stood in the doorway for a moment, watching him as he rubbed his temples wearily. 

She sighed and walked towards him, gingerly handing him the warm mug with the soothing aroma of hot chocolate from the rising steam. She took a seat alongside him, their shoulders brushing against one another's. Haley offered him a blanket, which Nathan willingly accepted. He wrapped the soft blanket around both his body and Haley's. He cradled the warm cup in his hands and shifted his body so that her head was in the crook of his shoulders, as to absorb the additional warmth from her body. 

They sat like that, sipping their hot chocolate in a comfortable air of silence. As the steaming cocoa cream warmed and revived his tired soul with every sip, a sensation of placidity flowed through his veins and eased his tensions until the shivers subsided.

"Thank you," Nathan whispered softly to Haley.

The tender glow of her eyes in the dark was the most astonishing vision his eyes had ever laid upon. 

"You're welcome," she murmured. 

Nathan suddenly shifted his body so that he faced her. 

"Why were you still awake?" he asked, wondering what could have possible been occupying her time.

Haley shrugged. "I couldn't fall asleep."

"Oh."

Nathan returned to his previous position and took a sip from his mug, slightly disappointed. 

"Okay, that was a lie," Haley sighed. Nathan looked up at her, bewildered. The young woman smiled at him, shaking her head. She placed the mug on a nearby coffee table, leaving her hands free to run them against his cheeks. 

"I was waiting for you to come."

"How'd you know I'd come?" Nathan asked, intrigued.

"Because it's your birthday."

Nathan lowered his head and cleared his throat. "And?"

Haley laughed softly and continued to run her tapering fingers against his eyebrows, jaw, and chin. "During the day you're fine with me. But after all those parties and squabbles with your parents I worry about you. Nathan, I know you're weak-"

Nathan turned away abruptly at her words, but Haley refused to stop. "I know it's hard. Believe me, you're a strong, bold, independent person. But you don't always have to be," she whispered. Nathan's lips parted as if he was about to speak, but after a moment he closed it. He opened it again.

"It's so easy to be weak. When something devastating happens, it's easiest to escape by crying. The temptation to collapse into tears to avoid a difficult situation is too hard to resist sometimes. I'm so damn susceptible to weakness and I don't want to deal with my problems. But I have to. So I try to take it on head first, but damnit, sometimes it gets too hard, you know?"

"I know," Haley said softly, pulling him towards her so that her arms embraced him completely.

"There are times when I just want to run away and cry but I can't. And it fucking hurts that I have that feeling, that I have that shameful feeling for even a second. Everyone else tries until they can't stop. But all I can think about is breaking down."

"Nate," she murmured against is hair, brushing her hands through the soft strands. "It's not a shameful feeling and you're not the only one."

Nathan didn't answer, nor did he bother to wipe away the burning tears that streamed down his face. He desperately wanted to run away from the issues with his father for just one last time. Everything was caving in on him, making it almost impossible for him to escape the burden that was placed upon him. His life was collapsing and falling apart with Dan Scott's derogatory, no, ashamed and mortified words. Nathan laughed inwardly at the irony of the situation. It was his birthday and he wanted to die. How lovely.

The only thing he wanted though, was to be comforted and held by Haley. He couldn't stand to be without her and empty for another minute in the cold world that he was isolated in. Nathan suddenly pulled Haley closer, burying his tears and sobs in her shoulder. The comforting tender warmth from her precious heart was all that he needed to calm his troubled and tormented soul.

As Nathan clung to Haley and cried his heart wrenching sorrows out, she whispered sweet nothings in his ear, rubbing his neck gently. They remained in each other's arms until the only noise in the room was his muffled sobs. 

This wasn't the first time Haley had seen this, but every time she saw Nathan Scott cry it was shocking and heartrending for her. When he let down his protective walls, letting them crumple completely to the point that he was defenseless, the harsh realities he had pushed off suddenly came at him with full force. And Haley knew that these were the times when she needed to, no, when he needed her to salvage him. Assure him of everything else waiting for him in the world. 

Many nights they spent talking about the future. Many nights they spent talking about the past. A couple times Nathan told her about his attempt at suicide. A couple times Nathan told her about the reasoning behind his alcohol parties. Many times Nathan told her about the pain he felt whenever he saw Lucas. It was hard for her during those discussions, and he knew, but she wanted him to open up nonetheless. She wanted nothing between them. Nothing at all.

Nathan's cries decreased gradually until only a few sniffles remained. Haley's arms were still delicately wrapped around him. Her embrace was not as tight as Nathan's, but rather light and gentle. Yet, he was encompassed with her compassionate warmth and he knew that she was there and assuring him that he was not alone. Haley was doing all that she could, but just the sense of her presence was enough to relieve him.

Knowing that she wouldn't abandon him when he needed her the most was most comforting of all. Knowing that no matter how many times he cried, how many times to talked to her, how many times he came to her in the middle of the night, she would always be with him was most comforting of all. Knowing that even if he showed his true self, his true colors, she would not mock him- she would not ridicule him. That was the most comforting of all. 

Finally he was given a chance to let down his mask, and at first it had seemed as though his true self was no longer there. He had held the mask too long, he had lost his true self, he suspected. But Haley had disagreed, and surely enough she had pulled him forward- salvaging him from the fakes and faceless crowds. He didn't need to be popular, he didn't need to be crude, and he didn't need to be arrogant. All he had to be was himself and she'd accept him.

Nathan sighed and burrowed himself deeper into his arms. Breathing in her gentle perfume, he realized something. Only in her arms, only in her heart would he able to reveal himself. 

And he hoped that she'd be with him long enough, hoped that God wouldn't realize his mistake for giving him such a precious individual, hoped that he'd be able to stay with her- thought it may have been on borrowed time. He hoped that he'd be able to love her as much as she deserved so that he'd be able to become himself, break free, and mesmerize everyone- including himself, with his true colors. 

But until then, he would worry, he would wait, and he would love with all of his heart and soul.


End file.
